People get stuck with nicknames in odd ways. Big guys are often called ‘Tiny’ or ‘Slim.’ Bald guys are sometimes called ‘Harry.’ More often though, nicknames actually fit, like Dish Boggett, the cowboy character in Lonesome Dove. He got the name Dish because, while on a cattle drive, he came into camp really thirsty and drank a tubful of dishwater. Noah Sweat is another example.